How to learn to understand the contemporary art
A Life / / December 19, 2019
1. Understand that it is and why it is you
The most common are two opinions. Or that contemporary art - it is some kind of trickery, and those who are interested in them, just snobs. Or that it is necessary to have an understanding of art education, and the ordinary man it will never comprehend. But no matter how contemporary art is no different from a classic, it is often said the same thing: the emotions, searching for themselves, the world and our place in it. Just makes it quite differently.
To begin, let's see, what kind of art is considered to be "modern". In the English language there are two terms: modern art and contemporary art. The first name that was created around 1900-1970-ies, and the second - all that after. In Russian both the reservoir of art is called one word -. "Modern" But in this article we will focus only on the artistic practices that have begun to emerge from the last third of the XX century, that is about contemporary art.
As the authors write of the training course "
In short, the present!"" Feature of contemporary art is that it is a long time to move to daily and there is outside museums and galleries. " Today sovriska can be anything: an object, phenomenon, process. Yes, still it includes painting and sculpture, but are just two of the many options for transferring media to the artist.Do not rush to say that this is not for you. Contemporary art is so vast that everyone can find something for themselves: street art, land artThe works are inextricably linked with the natural landscape., videoWorks created using video., performancesWork becomes action artist or group in a certain place and at a particular time., actionism Art becomes a situation created by the artist and has some meaning for him. , Theatrical performances with audience participation, contemporary dance - and that's not all. Certainly find something that will touch it you will be in tune with your personal experience.
You can start with the more familiar to all museums and galleries. Just give up waiting to see the exhibition something "beautiful", because the main thing in contemporary art is not beauty, but the idea and the way it is expressed.
2. Understand the general principles
The first, which is typical for contemporary art - diversity. And this applies to all: the materials, forms of expression, concepts and themes. Now there is no one ideology or "ism": artists reflect in their work variegated cultural landscape, draw attention to the urgent problems. For example, today there are many works of consumerism, ecological crisis, the search for identity, Depending on the technology and social networks, globalization and migration.
Such a variety of confusing the unprepared viewer. But it was thanks to him that modern art as a mirror, a reflection of our society and culture.
It becomes a tool with which you can take a fresh look at familiar and rethink it.
The second important feature - the active participation of the audience in the formation of the meaning of the work. Some artists say that the viewer completes or terminates it by bringing their own thoughts, interpretations and experiences.
This is especially true for the performances and happenings Works of art are the actions that occur with the participation of the artist, but not controlled by them completely. . They maximize the viewer involved in the creation of the work.
Do not confuse these genres with actionism. In it, too, the emphasis shifted from the artwork on the process of its creation, but the action - is a pure gesture declaration. They are often more radical, political, protest character.
And thirdly, the importance of the object of modern art lies not in its physical form, but in the sense of being formed in the process of interpretation. They complement the ideas that initially inspired the author. Through this art provokes us to think about what is happening in the world today.
3. Go and see
There are two approaches love with modern art. The first - to understand why it occurred and how associated with previous trends. "Otherwise, we will perceive the product only at the level of recognizable silhouette pictures, and in the modern the art of the first level is often simply no ", - wrote the authors of the book" Contemporary art and how to stop it be afraid. " More often advised to start with the Impressionists and trace the history of art to the present day.
The second approach is the direct opposite - just look at the work, without delving into history.
"Stop. Breathe. Relax. Do not think, just look, let him inside. Soak up the environment, feel the space in front of him, free mind, let the inner monologue on the move the wayside, and the eye - to get used to, "- writes the British art critic Ossian Ward in his book" The Art of look". He advises to look "for each product, like the first time you encounter something like that, whether picture, Sculpture or some indefinable installation. "
Choose the most appropriate approach for you, but it is best to try both of them. And in any case, ask yourself: "What I see here? That feel? What the author does, that I felt it? ". If you have experienced something new, whether pleasant or not, it is likely you have already understood the idea of the artist.
Note what materials made object, that they tell you what causes the association. Then he wondered if he refers to other works of art. To do this, read the text on the accompanying label, look for information on the Internet, remember that you've seen before.
If after all this, the object is still puzzling or rejection - do not worry. You do not have to love every piece, even if someone else considers him a genius. Walk, look, interact, discuss, and you will find that you will cause the response and desire to learn more.
Where to go:
- Museum of Contemporary Art "Garage"Moscow.
- Moscow Museum of Modern Art (MMOMA).
- National Center for Contemporary Art (NCCA), with branches in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladikavkaz, Yekaterinburg, Kaliningrad, Nizhny Novgorod, Tomsk, Samara, Saratov.
- Center for Contemporary Art «winery»Moscow.
- Museum of Modern Art Erarta, St. Petersburg.
- Gallery of Modern Art Pushkin Museum of RT, Kazan.
- gallery "Victoria", Samara.
- Gallery Sinara Art, Yekaterinburg.
If all of these cities are far from you, look Digital collections of leading museums in the world.
4. liberalize
read books
If you are completely unfamiliar with contemporary art, start with the first item in the list. In this book, detailed and easily talked about the origins of the birth of sovriska and its principles. If you want to just watch, without delving into history, take a third book. If you are interested in the "wrong side" of the art world, read the sixth. The author tells about the life of artists, critics, art dealers and curators. The rest of the book from the list, too, did not get round.
- "Incomprehensible art", Will Gompertz →
- "Contemporary art and how to cease to be afraid of him," Sergey and Alexander Gushchin Schurenkov →
- "Art Watch", Ossian Ward →
- "The history of the paintings from the cave to the computer screen," David Hockney and Martin Geyford →
- "The Art of Performance. From Futurism to the present day, "Goldberg Rouzli →
- "Seven Days in the Art", Sarah Thornton →
- "On the Russian actionism" Peter Petr Pavlensky →
If you read in English, please use the library of the New York Metropolitan Museum. In 2018 he posted More than 500 art books that you can download for free. Generally often look down on the site of the museum: they regularly exhibit a selection of books on a particular topic, or are advised to read for some exhibition.
Watch the video lectures
Museums often spread recording his lectures on YouTube. Watch for channels "garage ", NCCA, "Winery", Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center. Many interesting things are on the site TED conference. Rollers themselves in English, but in practice there is always a Russian subtitles. more good video selection Online "theory and practice".
So you do not get lost in the abundance of information we have collected materials to help you get acquainted with contemporary art:
- Lecture painter and art theorist Dmitri Gutova about contemporary art.
- Lecture Gutova about art in post-Soviet Russia.
- Lecture about the origins of modern art from the MSU teacher Ekaterina Kochetkova.
- Course in Russian art of XX-th century from Arzamas.
- series of lectures the museum "Garage".
- Lecture course of contemporary dance from Arzamas.
- Interview with the School of Design professor of HSE Alexandra Starusevoy-Persheevoy.
- Lecture a modern theater of the artistic director of London theater Sadler's Wells.
- Lecture the relationship of contemporary art with the science of the NCCA curator Dmitry Bulatov.
- Lecture critic Natalia Tamruchi "The audience as a partner," the parallels with the modern classical art.
5. Be more open to new ideas
Contemporary art pushes the usual framework and, therefore, to understand it and you have to go beyond their own boundaries of thinking and get rid of stereotypes. Do not dismiss something just because you think it is strange and incomprehensible. Remember that Impressionism also was once considered worthless maznoy, and is now seen as a classic painting.
"The artist's task is not to bring aesthetic pleasure - for this is the designers - and to a little aloof from the world, to try to make sense of it or speak about it with the help of ideas, the only purpose of which - to be ideas, "- writes the author of the book" Incomprehensible art". Admit these ideas into your life and they will be an inspiration to you.
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